…And, on some now-impossible-to-recall date in the month of
July… Gold Key Comics!

Since I’ll never know that actual date, TODAY is as good as
any for the celebration.

In decades prior, Dell Comics (produced and packaged by the
venerable Western Publishing Company) ruled the roost in terms of licensed
animated characters, other properties from the movies and later television, and
even a fair number of original creations.Under its own banner, Dell successfully distributed these comics for
many years – and is said to have had the highest circulation comic book of all
time, with WALT DISNEY’S COMICS AND STORIES in the early 1950s.

Then, one day in the early 1960s, the unthinkable
happened.When most newsstand comic
books sold for 10 or maybe 12 cents, Dell Comics raised their cover price to
an apocalyptical FIFTEEN CENTS!

Those pennies ADD UP!

THREE CENTS more than the competition!Hard to believe, but that was a BIG deal in
those days!

As a result, sales plummeted.Western Publishing ended its distribution
arrangement with Dell – and Gold Key Comics, a new imprint of Western Pub., was
born.

In July of 1962, with no fanfare whatsoever, familiar comic
books (with equally familiar title characters) began to appear on newsstands
with a strange and curious “Gold Key” Logo supplanting that of “Dell”. I’d imagine the brand name “Gold Key” was
somehow derived from Western’s phenomenally successful line of children’s
“Golden Books”.

THIS was the first one I ever saw!

THIS was the second.

And, very likely but no longer certain, THIS was the
third.

I also may have had THIS ONE, because it looks and feels so
familiar, but I no longer have it in my collection to verify.

The earliest of the Gold Key titles – including the FIRST
THREE ABOVE – were clearly constructed from leftover Dell inventory
material.They were IDENTICAL to their
Dell predecessors in every way - save two.The Gold Key Logo, of course, and that the advertisement or “back cover
gag” was eliminated in favor of a PIN-UP!

Did someone say...

...Pin-Up?

No, not the kind of pin-up involving curves, legs, or dare I
suggest even breasts!This particular
brand of pin-up was a reproduction of the FRONT COVER ART – sans logo, any
cover captioning, list price, etc.It
was the ART in pure unadulterated form – kinda like a modern TV image might be
without “logo bugs” and pop-ups!…However,
it WOULD tell you that it was part of a series – and which number WITHIN that
series it was.“The Flintstones Pin-Up #
1”, it would say.This would also act as
an accurate indicator of which was the FIRST Gold Key issue of a series, the
SECOND, THIRD, and so on.

Thankfully, for future generations of collectors, few (if
any) kids of the Silver Age ripped these pin-ups off the back of their comics
and hung them on their bedroom walls!Even THEN, I could never actually bring myself to do so!(SHUDDER!)

A Potamus Pin-Up!

These initial changes served as a mere “opening shot” in
Gold Key’s aesthetic demarcation from Dell.The “innovations” would hardly end here.

In short order, said “innovations” would come SO fast and
furious that, by the autumn of 1962, these comic books would literally NO
LONGER RESEMBLE their earlier numbers from the preceding spring!

Even Wile E. can't keep up with all the changes!

The “new look” Gold Key Comics adopted a peculiar, almost
UPA-influenced graphic style!This is
characterized by reduced background detail, panel backgrounds (and often the
incidental objects within) covered over in ONE FLAT COLOR, square dialogue
balloons, and wider gutters.Panels were
often “borderless”, or alternatively surrounded by thick borders of PASTEL
COLORS!

The work of better artists like Carl Barks, Harvey
Eisenberg, and Paul Murry particularly suffered under this system.The
lone example of Carl Barks straining against his publisher’s imposition can be
seen in UNCLE SCROOGE # 40 (above).After that, Barks’
visuals would return to normal, though the coloring quirks, outside of Barks’
control, would remain for a short time longer.

Like Real Gone Gags, Man!

WALT DISNEY’S COMICS AND STORIES would abandon its “Donald
Duck Cover Gag” format – in place since 1940 – for segmented covers
illustrating some of the different stories contained therein.Strangely, it made for some interesting
covers, combining art from Carl Barks, Paul Murry, Tony Strobl, and, with the
addition of Zorro, even Alex Toth!You might
occasionally find a photo of Guy Williams!

Covers illustrating a Gold Key issue’s “main adventure
story” would return for the first time since the early-mid 1950s.

New graphic designs were experimented with – and quickly
discarded – such as THIS ONE that more resembles a RECORD ALBUM COVER than a
comic book!Look at the SIZE of that
LOGO vs. the illustration!

Many titles were converted to 80 page “giants”, which
featured a “Primary Character” and laced with additional stories of the ancillary characters from the same
licensed studio as the Primary Character.Among the titles to bulk-up were: BUGS BUNNY, HUCKLEBERRY HOUND, YOGI
BEAR, QUICK DRAW McGRAW, WOODY WOODPECKER, TOM AND JERRY, ROCKY AND HIS
FRIENDS, LITTLE LULU, and POPEYE.As an example of the "Primary/Ancillary
Pairings", note Wally Gator being associated with Huckleberry Hound!

Has anyone seen Hokey Wolf?

Hail, hail, the Lantz ancillary gang's all here!

Bugs "goes up"!

This was accompanied by a corresponding LOSS of ancillary titles,
as the other characters were folded into the giants.Titles departing at this time were ALL of the
other Warner Bros. titles (save DAFFY DUCK).

Within a few months, or a few issues, all of these “Giant” titles
reverted to standard size.…But, in many
cases, the “other titles” were not reinstated.Eventually, though, the Warner titles would return slowly and pretty
much “be back” by 1965 and many Hanna-Barbera one-shots, limited series, and
ongoing series would be released.

We're b-b-b-back!

Don't call us "limited", Dah-ling!

Oddly, no DISNEY titles were subject to this radical redirecting
though, as noted, ZORRO lost his title and was folded-into WDC&S.

Zorro and Pete: Symmetry in Disembodied Floating Heads!

Finally, the oddest quirk of all…

DONALD DUCK and THE FLINTSTONES – and I believe ONLY those
titles – for a duration of about a year – began their featured stories ON THE
FRONT COVER… and continued them on Page One of the issue.See below for this most unusual editorial
innovation.I suppose it was a way of
hooking you, and getting you to open the book – and buy it.But, I can’t say I’d ever seen this attempted
before or since.…And why ONLY DONALD
DUCK and THE FLINTSTONES?

This situation persisted for DONALD DUCK # 87-91 and THE
FLINTSTONES # 10-15.

In addition to animated properties Gold Key also licensed
prime time TV series such as BONANZA, THE TWILIGHT ZONE, BORIS KARLOFF PRESENTS
THRILLER (…which would become BORIS KARLOFF TALES OF MYSTERY once the show
expired), and even THE LUCY SHOW.

Over the decade the roll of network TV series to appear
under the Gold Key banner would include such sixties favorites as GUNSMOKE,
VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., THE WILD WILD WEST,
STAR TREK, I SPY, THE TIME TUNNEL, LAND OF THE GIANTS, and more – mirroring (to
not so coincidental a degree) my present-day DVD collection.

The results varied, in terms of accuracy and
fidelity to the series in question, but at least the Gold Key Comics version of
your favorite TV show was always there to extend the experience, once that
show was over and done for another seven days.Photo covers for most of these series eased the pain of weekly separation - and marked the first time that many kids saw their '60s video heroes in color!

Original properties also proliferated like SPACE FAMILY
ROBINSON (which would form the basis for the beloved ‘60s TV series LOST IN
SPACE), DOCTOR SOLAR MAN OF THE ATOM, and MAGNUS ROBOT FIGHTER – all of which became
popular in their own right. These were marked by outstanding painted covers. The Gold Key
Adventure Comics style was parodied to a “T” in Bongo Comics’ RADIOACTIVE MAN #
6 (October, 2002).

Note the words "LOST IN SPACE" in the cover caption!

Note the words "GOLDEN KEY" in the cover caption!

But I thought WE were "lost in space"!

In an example of inspired creativity (…or blatant plot recycling –
you decide) Yellow Beak the parrot from the early classic “Donald Duck Finds Pirate
Gold” ships-out with Woody Woodpecker in 1963!
Decades later, I make an oblique reference ( read about it HERE) to this event in my 2011 Donald comic book
script: “Donald Duck Finds Pirate Gold ...Again”!

Puff-Pant!And that
was just HALF of 1962 and into 1963!…WOW!

Taking a more accelerated pace for the remainder of the
timeline, we move to:

1964-1966:Gold Key
Comics were almost untouchable in terms of quality, abandoning the “early look”
and, simultaneously, doing some of the best stories – in a variety of genres,
from funny stuff with DAFFY DUCK and THE FLINTSTONES to adventures with UNCLE
SCROOGE and VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.

All this was supplemented by judiciously selected reprints
from the Dell era.The reprints were the
best-of-the best.This is where I was
introduced to Bill Wright’s Mickey Mouse (including Wright’s adaptation of
Floyd Gottfredson’s “Sky Island” epic), some great Bugs Bunny, and earlier
Sagendorf Popeye, etc.

Was the original Dell issue an “ANT-ecedent”?

The period also saw the coming of titles for The Phantom
Blot, Beagle Boys, Junior Woodchucks, and Super Goof, the “Super Secret Agent”
experiment for Mickey Mouse, and lots of great Hanna-Barbera stuff, including
some amazing work from Harvey Eisenberg.

A burst of quality in both creativity and
editorial direction that Western Publishing would NEVER SEE AGAIN!My high opinion of Gold Key as a publisher is
admittedly forever colored by this period.

1967-1968: A downward trend begins with the introduction of
the Gold Key Comics Club taking 6 pages out of every book for the nonsense of
reader-submitted jokes, riddles, and (Shudder!) DRAWINGS (…Were these COMIC
BOOKS – or the family refrigerator!) and forcing the books into a rigid
format.

The joke's on US, all right!

But, Carl Barks was still there
– though 1967 would mark the last combination of his writing and drawing.

Bye-Bye, Barks?

Decidedly on the upside was Gold Key’s introduction of STAR
TREK to comics!The title would continue
through 1979!

WALT DISNEY COMICS DIGEST was introduced in spring ’68, and
featured some prime Barks UNCLE SCROOGE reprints for the first time.Paul Murry and Tony Strobl remained mainstays
of the Disney titles.

We were introduced to MOBY DUCK!Yay!(No
sarcasm – I LIKED Moby!)

January, 1967: Meet Moby! ...AND the first issue in which I discovered (Shudder!) the Gold Key Comics Club!

1969-1972: inferior artists begin to take over as,
apparently (though undocumented), was also the case with writers.Disney, itself, is somewhat responsible –
luring some of the better talents with their higher-paying “Studio Program” to
produce original comics for overseas markets.(One former Western artist actually TOLD ME that was the case!)Others simply retired, after long
careers.Some, like Harvey Eisenberg in
1965, even passed-on.

Um, What happened to the ART?

No, REALLY... What happened?!

Oddly, Jack Manning's stint on MICKEY MOUSE was unexpectedly interesting, with his figures looking somewhat like later period Floyd Gottfredson!

Adding insult to injury, the Hanna-Barbera “classic
character” titles (FLINTSTONES, YOGI BEAR, etc.) were lost to the HORRORS of
(*ahem*) “lesser” publisher Charlton Comics in the summer of 1970!The times were undeniably changing.

…Doesn’t this comparison make you want to CRY?

Thankfully, Carl Barks comes to the rescue, returning to
WRITE, but not draw, for the JUNIOR WOODCHUCKS title – and two scripts for
DONALD DUCK. Barks lifted the overall
Gold Key line in another unintended way, as his reprints would dominate the
UNCLE SCROOGE title from mid-1969 until well into 1980!

Similarly, Barks Donald Duck reprints
(supplemented by new Mickey Mouse material by Paul Murry) would dominate
WDC&S pretty much for the remainder of its Gold Key and Whitman run.

Still demonstrating an ability to pick up new licensed
animated characters for series, Gold Key begins its PINK PANTHER title in
1971.There would be 87 issues in
all!Pretty impressive for a “newcomer”!

Hey, that's not The Inspector!

1973-1976:A
noticeable uptick in the quality of the writing occurs, as Mark Evanier becomes
a rare “newbie” to enter the fold – and animation legend Michael Maltese, with
TV animation no longer worthy of his talents, returns to write comic
scripts.Barks continues on JUNIOR
WOODCHUCKS. However, more often than not, a similar claim of a rise cannot
be made of the ART -- which (as our last illustration shows below) generally becomes worse.

A "Godfather" reference in a '70s Gold Key Comic? Looks like an "uptick" to me!

Mark Evanier & Dan Spiegle: A memorable team-up on Scooby-Doo!

Never fear... Mark Evanier is here... Keen Gear!

BAD DOG... I mean ART!

Negative turning point:The parallel “Whitman Bag Issues” begin.

These were duplicates of the regular Gold Key
comic books (plastic-bagged in groups of three, branded with a Whitman logo)
and sold in toy and variety stores, rather than the traditional newsstands and
candy stores. In consideration of the
irregular distribution schedules of the “Bag System”, the Mickey Mouse serials
in WALT DISNEY’S COMICS AND STORIES – run since 1940 – were discontinued.How sad!

1980-1984:The best
thing that can be said about the titles of this period is that they “were there”, but with
all of the creativity and fun drained away.If anything, the Whitman line might be best remembered for its many
bizarre quirks…

Issue # 209

...And AGAIN in # 215? ...For twenty cents MORE?

Certain issues were reprinted shortly after their
release.(See MICKEY MOUSE # 209 and 215
above!)A plethora of Whitman titles
would be released on a single day – and then there would be nothing for months,
until the cycle repeats.This was likely
timed to the release schedule of those damned BAGS.(The TAIL was now officially wagging the
DOG!)

Issues 193 and 194 - Same day Service!

Consecutive issues of UNCLE SCROOGE (193 and 194 – and later 198 and 199)
were actually released ON THE SAME DAY!Certain
issue numbers of DAFFY DUCK, POPEYE, and others were SKIPPED, or
unpublished.

Missing Issues: # 132, 133! Guess that means Daffy's "not all there"!

And, for those readers who
became adept at reading the Gold Key “Cover Date Codes” (Anyone who is curious
can ask me about that in the Comments Section!), certain issues were released
with a 13/1981 Date Code.(…Yes, there
was a THIRTEENTH month in 1981!Don’t
you remember it? It was hot that month… or rainy, or sumpthin’!)

Yeah... It WAS rainy!

Not all was completely wrong.Paul Murry continued to produce new Mickey
Mouse stories ALL the way to the very end – and there were even a few more left
unpublished, including one (still unseen, alas) with The Phantom Blot!Also some then-rare Carl Barks reprints
appeared to excite new collectors and fans.The books became 32 pages of STORY CONTENT – no ads, in-house or
otherwise.But, they were damned hard to
find, unless you looked diligently, and/or hounded your comic shop proprietor,
as I did.

Barks reprints heeeer! Get 'em while they're RARE!

1985-1986:In
Whitman’s wake would come Bruce Hamilton and the wonders that were Gladstone
Series One!Unfortunately the non-Disney
properties would be left to the eventual vagaries of other publishers.The less said about some of those (*COUGH!*
‘90s Harvey! *COUGH!*) the better.

Good Times and Glad(stone) Tidings ahead for Donald!

But, alas... Poor Woody! Abandoned by Yellow Beak!

Still, despite what might be more overall “bad” than “good” (…and that is
quite an admission coming from ME), Gold Key Comics will hold a very special
place in history – and in my heart!As
they should for us all!

Happy 50 Years to you, Gold Key!You’re still “shining bright and opening doors of
wonder” around here!